Merrimack High senior lineman Dylan Sadowski.

MERRIMACK — On the strangest of opening nights, before a true smattering of friends and family, the Merrimack High School football team was a shadow of its recent self offensively.

But a Tomahawks’ defense, anchored by a streamlined and murderously hungry, senior Dylan Sadowski, flashed some serious muscle, holding visiting Bishop Guertin to a mere 72 yards of second-half offense to preserve the 21-14 victory.

“We have been waiting so long to get out here, I feel like it all just exploded at once,” said Sadowski, who had to be in on 15 tackles from his left defensive end spot, disrupting and destroying any Cardinal ball-carrier in his neighborhood.

“I had the energy of my boys behind me, and it was great.”

Turnovers played a huge role in the win. Twice the Cardinals sputtered near midfield. First a BG lateral went awry, and Merrimack pounced on it. And later Shea Goodwin hauled in an acrobatic interception to end another.

Still, BG was quite game and it took a last-minute Camden Wheeler sack of Josh Larson to finally put the visitors away.

“Merrimack is a good, well-coached team … but we hung around,” said Cards coach John Trisciani. “You have to be happy with the way the kids played.”

Trailing 14-7 at the half, BG knotted things in seconds when Daniel Fleming burst down the right sideline on a 76-yard return of the third-quarter kick, all the way to the Merrimack 1. On the first play, Larson channeled his inner Cam Newton, plowing in to knot the score at 14 apiece.

Offensively, Merrimack did just enough and came up with the big play just when Guertin figured to take control.

Junior QB Kyle Crampton, who stepped in at times last year behind center, had his moments in his debut as the full-time starter.

The biggest came midway through the third and helped provide the decisive touchdown.

Krampton found Steven Petz for Merrimack’s biggest gain, a 53-yard hookup to the BG 4.

A play later, Jake Trahan banged in for the 21-14 lead.

“It was a good catch. I could have put it in a better spot,” admitted Krampton. “We came right back. We took the momentum right back and we kept it the rest of the game.”

From there, it was all about defense and stinginess.

The Cardinals would run 27 more plays over the final 19 minutes but netted just 64 yards, getting no deeper into the Merrimack territory than the Tomahawks 37.

“It was about the grind, just power and outwork the other team,” said Sadowski. “Nothing is guaranteed, as coach says, and we just played every play like it was our last.”

Trahan, who rushed for 42 yards on 16 carries, had the first Merrimack TD of the night. Brett Michalewicz also ran for a score. Reese Lopez kicked all three PATs.

Krampton finished his night 13 of 28 for 191 yards with Trahan catching five of those for 64 yards.

“Sure, it was a little sloppy. We haven’t had a lot of prep time,” said Merrimack’s Sadowski. “But we’ll get there.”

Guertin’s Brendan Callahan made a terrific adjustment on a Larson deep ball for the Cardinals’ initial score, a 43-yard hookup. The senior finished with 5 catches for 87 yards.

“It’s tough. I’m definitely disappointed. Everybody is in the same boat, so you don’t want to make excuses,” said Trisciani. “We were making a lot of mistakes out there on the field that I think could have been corrected in the first scrimmage you don’t have or maybe in the jamboree you don’t have. I can’t say I’m overly surprised, but we’re a little disappointed.”

Newsletter